>> i can't hear. please get out of here. >> reporter: across town they heard the sound, first the boom. families telling us they could feel the explosion in their bones, pulling out their cell phones to capture the video just before 8:00. full portions of their town were wiped out. >> massive just like iraq, just like the murrah building in oklahoma city. same kind of hydrous exploded. you can imagine what kind of damage we're looking at there. >> reporter: firefighters fighting the flame since 6:30 when something ignited and the explosion that followed sent a mushroom cloud high into the sky. >> it looked like a nuclear bomb. i never experienced anything like that in my life. >> we got a lot of fire men down. we need every ambulance we can get. >> reporter: many of the people here were just finishing dinner, the shock waves of the blast blew down their doors and shattered their windows. >> i lost some of my friends.

>> reporter: the blast registered as an earth quake, 2.1 on the scale. it destroyed nearly 100 homes and businesses in one small five block radius including a nearby school and a nursing home where residents were being evacuated when the roof came crashing down. >> you can see loads upon loads of people in their wheelchairs with blood all over their legs. >> reporter: more than 100 shaken residents poored into hospitals and a make shift triage center a few miles from the blast. emergency workers going door to door in the dark hoping to find missing residents alive. >> there are a lot of people that are hurt and a lot of people that i'm sure are not going to be here tomorrow. >> reporter: the search and rescue is on this morning and they are certainly hoping for more rescues but it's raining quite heavily today which is impacting their efforts. there's now a hotline at the high school for families who are looking for their loved ones.

>> we're joined by william patrick swanton. this devastation is so hard to absorb. can you give us a sense of exactly what you're dealing with there now. >> at this point the operation has moved into a search and rescue mode. we know that the blast was devastating on this town last night. we have recovered people. we know there are casualties. at this point we're going door to door, house to house, business to business trying to find survivors, trying to make sure that those that still are there, may be trapped in rubble, need medical help, that we're getting them. we know that the fire occurred approximately 15, 20 minutes later the major blast occurred. there is some significant devastation in the town of west tonight. >> absolutely leveled in so many ways. you're talking about searching for the souls missing right now.

the current estimate 5 to 15 dead? >> that's the last numbers i have had were five to 15 casualties, fatalities. we know we have had at least 160 individuals that have been injured. some of those are very significant wounds, broken bones, open wounds. >> is there any way to know how many people are actually missing right now? >> it's still unclear. we know that there are firefighters that were there actually working the fire at the fertilizer plant. those firefighters have not been accounted for at this point. again, they are part of the search and rescue. we're searching, assuming we're going to find them that maybe they are injured and can't get out, but we'll continue that until we find them. >> sergeant, i know you're treating this entire area as a crime scene, but do you have any evidence that this fire was intentionally set? >> we do not. at this point obviously the atf is here.

the state fire marshals are here. they are treating it as a crime scene. the reason we do that is it brings a little bit better investigative experience in and they're not going to leave a stone unturned. >> what is the greatest danger right now? >> i know there's concern about ammonia fumes. >> our emergency personnel here, our environmental folks here have indicated that there is not a threat to the community based on toxic fumes getting into the community. >> your top priority right now? >> absolutely to save lives that we can, to make sure that we've got all the injured people. >> good luck with all that, sir. we're thinking of you this morning. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> moments ago i spoke to an eyewitness who rushed toward the fire to rescue her sister-in-law. here's what she saw when she got there. >> i could see windows blown out. a lot of debris inside the rest home.

everybody there was helping move the residents across the street to the parking lot. wheelchairs were being pushed down the street. we were carrying them. first responders were all there in their trucks, their vehicles. anybody in the area was there to move residents to the football field. >> your sister-in-law, had she gotten out of the nursing home before the ceiling collapsed? >> she said the ceiling collapsed on her, and when she got to the hospital and they removed her, the covers, she was covered with broken glass. she's totally disabled, couldn't get out at all. the staff got her out. by the time i got to the rest home i couldn't find her. i was going up and down the street trying to find her. >> i can't imagine you've ever seen anything like this before. >> no, no, you can imagine whole streets, the houses have been destroyed. when i left my sister's house heading to the rest home there was a family at the street that

had nowhere to go. i gave them a ride to one street over. this is, i guess, maybe two blocks. that house had been destroyed or at least glass everywhere. >> thank you for joining us this morning. we hope she recovers quickly. we know how devastating this has been for the whole town. sharon middlebrooks, thanks very much. george, immediate concern in an explosion like this one is the seriousness of the injuries. abc's chief medical editor dr. richard besser was in charge of the response for the cdc and he's been tracking this all night long. we heard from police broken bones, open wounds. these are a large amount of people with varying degrees of injuries. what are they dealing with on the ground right now? >> doctors in this country rarely see this kind of thing. this is what you see in a major combat situation. you have the injuries from the blast yourself. any organ with air in it, your lungs, intestines, ears, the pressure wave can rupture those

and this can be life threatening. beyond that you have issues of penetrating injuries, debris that's been flying. that can cause all kinds of complex wounds. you have broken bones, dirty wounds. the hospitals can get swamped initially with people with minor injuries. you have to disperse all of these people to the hospitals in a broad area. >> we know there's an immediate concern of exposure to gas of fumes from this explosion at the fertilizer plant. we're hearing that testing is going on. they feel like things are okay. but what are the possible long term problems and what will officials be looking for to determine whether or not it's safe to come back? >> initially they were seeing people with burning eyes but if there was a major chemical release you would have been major decontamination set up at the hospitals with showers. you would have seen a large area of people affected and thankfully that's not taking

place. they're going to monitor the air, the water to make sure everything is safe. >> that may be one bright spot in a devastating situation. thanks very much. we turn now to the latest on the boston marathon bombings. as the fbi combs through thousands of images from the scene, brian ross leads our coverage from boston. good morning, brian. >> reporter: good morning. there's a growing sense of confidence here this morning based on the fbi discovery of a video that appears to catch the moment when a man placed a bag with one of the bombs. officials tell abc news that the best view of the possible suspect comes from a high definition camera at the lord and taylor department store. these shots broadcast by whdh before and then after the blast also played a key role according to authorities. officials so far have declined to make public any image of the man they now suspect. much of the review of the

evidence is being done by a special team of agents who have set up in a restricted area near the boston harbor, the so called operational technology division. this is where the evidence is brought for examination and where agents can use special facial recognition software to turn faces into names. >> there is software that allows for facial recognition, even at a distance. it's not 100%, but even a 70 or 80% correlation would narrow down the number of people that the fbi has to go after. >> reporter: the agents are also processing some 290 pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene including wire with a manufacturers name still visible, tiny circuit boards, small nails apparently meant as snap medical and the twisted remains of the pressure cooker used to how's the bomb. any fingerprints are crucial to

the trial. >> it's extremely important to match the bomb to the bad guy. >> reporter: there maybe as many as a thousand police and federal agents assigned to this case. while there's no arrest there's a great sense of confidence that they've come a long way this three days. >> there was so much confusion yesterday, actual reports of an arrest in some news outlets earlier in the day dismissed by the fbi and police but they do believe they're zeroing in? >> reporter: they do think they're closer but there have been no arrested according to officials here. >> brian ross, thanks very much. now to the emotional debate over gun control. president obama with strong words after the senate failed to pass a key proposal to expand background checks. he called it a shameful day in washington and vowed to keep fighting. john carl has the story. >> the amendment is not agreed to. >> reporter: just as the bill was voted down, two victims of gun violence scream out in the senate chamber.

>> shame on you! >> the president joined by gabby giffords and some of the families were anger. >> all in all this was a shameful day for washington. >> reporter: afterwards the newtown families told us they were disappointed but determined. >> we don't have a political agenda. we just don't want other people to suffer through this. we want their passing to mean something, to have a purpose. >> reporter: james and natalie barden lost their little brother daniel in the sandy hook massacre. >> i feel that we owe it to daniel because his life needed to mean something. >> he was just so thoughtful and he thought about everybody. he was always happy. >> reporter: senator rand paul yesterday accused the president of using the newtown families as, quote, props. the families told us that that's just wrong. >> when people say we're being

used, it's -- we don't understand it because it's just -- we don't want families to go through what we are going through. >> reporter: what do you say to those who say this is no way it's going to pass this was the best chance? >> we're never going to give up. >> reporter: gabby giffords has an op-ed and writes speaking is physically difficult for me but my feelths are clear. i'm furious. i will not rest until we have righted the wrong these senators have done. those senators include four democrats who voted with the overwhelming majority of republicans to reject this bill. >> so much passion there in washington and across the country. let's turn to josh for the other stories. >> flood emergency has been declared in chicago. take a look at this. torrential down pours opening a sink hole that swallowed several

cars. they have received more rain in the last 24 hours in the area than is usually received in a month. cars under water in some areas, rain coming through the ceiling at chicago's o'hare airport and much more in a moment. also new information about a security scare involving the poisonous substance risen that might have been sent to president obama and a senator. a father of four has been arrested. pierre thomas is here with the latest. pierre? >> reporter: good morning. a suspect identified as paul kevin curtis was arrested at his home in mississippi. the fbi says he's the man who tried to send two potentially poisonous letters to president obama and mississippi senator roger wicker. we're waiting final test results on whether the letters actually contained risen, a deadly poison made from beans. he describes himself on his

facebook page as a karate enthusiast and elvis impersonator. he's facing serious charges. during a public relations nightmare for months carnival cruise lines is spending $30 million ang improvements, an extra generator and upgrading fire safety systems. it follows a debacle in february when thousands of passengers were stranded in the gulf of mexico with no working bathrooms. finally, a high school baseball team beat an opponent 65-0. in a game that was called after three innings. >> no! >> yes. the game called appropriately. the winner was from liking heights high. the rematch is monday. the winning coach said he's

going to level the playing field if he plays with two or three guys he'll get it done. they won 65-0 in three innings. >> no mass. >> no mass. >> credit a lot of these times it's the winning team or the winning coach going for history trying to inflate a number. the winning coach was really embarrassed about what happened. he felt bad about what happened. they scored 31 runs in one inning. >> sam, have you ever done that? >> no. >> just wanted to be clear. let's start with the big storms that rolled through the middle of the country last night. at least two tornados reported, over 150 damage reports from these storms. there's a lot to deal with in this part of the country today. in that red zone from memphis to louisville to indianapolis, st. louis these could be strong to powerful storms, could include

tornados, a lot of hail. ten inches of snow in northern illinois, two inches of rain yesterday, an inch of rain an hour at some points. this is flooding just about everywhere. we have reports in northern illinois of serious flooding going on. remember you have a lot of snow melt, heavy rain in this area over the next 24 hours. that's going to be a real mess. quick look at the big board, strong storm, a pocket of snow that we'll go into next half-hour. that's the weather around the nation. here's what you can expect this morning.

>> that list of sunny cities brought to you by mercedes-benz. on the east coast just as nice, just a little cooler today. not quite as warm as yesterday. >> beautiful. >> thank you, sam. coming up much more on the breaking new details coming in from texas where that fertilizer plant exploded and a deadly blast overnight. also ahead, was a personal vendetta the motive behind the murders of the high-profile attorneys in texas. the unexpected confession this morning. and former governor mark sanford accused of trespassing in his ex-wife's home. was he snooping?

and the startling new social experiment which reveals how women really see themselves. >> fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen. twitter is about to make an exclusive announcement. you'll hear it right ahead here on "gma. announcement. you'll hear it right ahead here on "gma." the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on all purchases, plus a 50% annual bonus. and everyone but her... no. no! no. ...likes 50% more cash. but i don't give up easy... do you want 50% more cash? yes! yes?! ♪ [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase, plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. ♪ what's in your wallet? why? and we've hit the why phase... hd 4. hd 4 on our house-baked pan crust served with soup or salad

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>> now from abc7 news, i am eric thomas. an overturned big rig has a big impact on the morning commute. abc7 news traffic reporter leyla gulen has been following the impact of the accident all morning on 580 near 680. what is the latest? >> as we go back to the video, we do have some updates on it. right now, what we can see is a nasty backup and this is all because of the early sig-alert. look at this, early footage shot from sky 7 and right now it look like the big rig is getting towed from the seen and -- the scene and right now you are looking at a two hour commute coming from tracy to dublin. eric? >> thank you very much. when we come back our meteorologist, mike niccos has

>> we are back and talking about high pollen count again today. now the winds, they have calmed, three to six miles per hour this morning. that is going to help lead to sunshine and temperatures about three to seven degrees warmer than yesterday. san francisco is 68. about everyone else, oak, saab that rose, fremont, concord, and san jose in the mid-to-upper 70's. look at the surge of summer-like

warmth through the weekend and into early next week, upper 80's, to near 90 inland and low-to-mid 80's around the bay and headed to the coast for the free air conditioning with

that is the moment the fertilizer plant in west, texas exploded. the fire had been burning for half an hour when a kind of mushroom cloud, the kind you see with a nuclear bomb, there you see right there, went shooting into the air. an entire apartment building was destroyed. felt miles and miles away. it had the force of a small earthquake. there are several casualties. dozens injured and search and rescue continues to go on for the missing in texas this

morning. just wanted to say good morning, america. amy in for robin this morning. lara on vacation. >> we want to talk about the motive behind the murders of the high-profile district attorneys in texas. there was an unexpected confession from the wife of a former co-worker this morning details on all of that just ahead. >> very startling yesterday and, well, it's an ad campaign that so many women are talking about. dove soap asked women to describe what they look like and then had them compare that to what they see in the mirror. it was a startling social experiment. we'll be discussing it this morning. >> hey, are you on twitter? for this show you should be. it's added value. world exclusive announcement right here on "gma" and get a chance to tell you. let's get to that major development, an unexpected confession in the case of the murders of those district attorneys and one of their wives in kaufman county, texas. abc's matt gutman has the very latest on this story. matt, good morning.

>> reporter: hey, good morning, amy. this was a national murder mystery with no leads. investigators thought the brutal murders of two top texas officials in this town were killed by white supremacists. we're learning that the three murders were not about a political agenda but a personal vendet vendetta. 46-year-old kim williams gave them information only the killers would have known. she's in jail this morning accused of helping her husband, the former justice of the peace exact murderous revenge against the prosecutors who helped convict him for stealing computers from the courthouse. >> i don't think anybody could have played a novel that could play out this story. shocked, neighbors offered a completely different picture of the couple. saying that kim williams was a pleasant neighbor but often in poor health. >> she had an adult size

tricycle and would ride that around the neighborhood. >> reporter: police say looks could be deceiving and she told them her husband was the shooter and even describing in detail her role in the killings. it was a spree that started with the shooting of mark hasse in a courthouse parking lot and the double murder of his boss, mike mclelland and his wife. at the time williams expressed sympathy. >> my heart goes out to the families affected by this tragedy. >> reporter: meanwhile investigators say he and his wife were keeping this storage space where they hid weapons and the getaway car they used in the murders. overnight the families met with authorities and then released a statement, telling us they're happy an arrest has been made saying we want to thank everyone for their continued support during this ordeal. >> this morning the couple is being held on a $13 million bond but that could double later today when police officially charge eric williams with capital murder.

both of them could face the death penalty. >> you never know your neighbors. thank you very much. >> now to the strange case of mark sanford. the former governor had one of the most famous political press conferences ever where he was forced to admit that he slipped away to argentina to visit a girlfriend. now he's bidding for congress but his ex-wife is accusing him of trespassing. gio benitez is here. all the dirty laundry coming out weeks before election day. >> reporter: the committee said it's pulling out its cash no longer supporting sanford. this morning he's trying to save his campaign and his public image. this was supposed to be mark sanford's comeback, the former south carolina governor who left office in disgrace, winning the republican primary for his old congressional seat. >> thank you. but this morning his return to politics is in jeopardy after a nasty dispute with his ex-wife has gone public.

court records show his ex-wife jenny accuses him of trespassing at her home. the couple divorced three years ago after he disappeared for six days. he was in buenos aries with his mistress. >> i've let down a lot of people. >> jenny says she found her ex-husband leaving through her back door, using his cell phone as a flashlight in february. in a statement sanford says he was only there watching the super bowl with his son because, quote, as a father, i didn't think he should watch it alone. at his april 2 victory party, his former mistress turned fiance joined him on stage with two of his sons. the washington post reports this was the first time his son had ever met her. in a text message to washington post reporter jenny sanford reportedly writes, quote, that

was indeed bolt's first intro and both boys were visibly upset. >> this is a major upset and the best evidence of that is the republican party announced they are washing their hands of this race. >> reporter: the national republicans congressional committee's decision to drop sanford comes just as voters are about to decide whether to elect him or his opponent. >> the public has a capacity for forgiveness of their politicians but there is a point when the personal baggage will pile up to the point of distraction. >> reporter: in a statement sanford suggested that these documents were leaked to ruin his chances of winning that congressional seat. his next court appearance is next month, two days after that special election. >> could be a close one. thanks very much. let's get the weather from sam. >> we're going to show you pictures this morning of heavy rain over the middle of the country. we're going to start in missouri but we're going to talk all the way through illinois this morning. in roanoke people are evacuated from their homes due to rising

waters. up to three inches of rain fell in this area. we're getting reports of a lot of flooding in northern illinois this morning. here's the rain in that system. this is a soaking system. in these red zones all the way into central michigan two to three inches of additional rain today. remember they had two inches in that zone yesterday. also the target zone is here in memphis but generally from new orleans to the canadian border. on the northern line of that more snow. this is incredible. the snow here is very large, very deep. when you add rain on the southern end and start to melt this together this is going to be a tough season for flooding we feel all the way to the dakotas to the mississippi river valleys. not good news. the storms are lining up here in the red zones. gorgeous on the east coast, cooler than yesterday. dry on the west coast. a couple systems on the northwest over the next couple of days.

>> there's nothing good about an old pollen report. how about a fresh one. the pollen report, the big story is tree pollen. the highest levels are showing up in three zones. the mississippi river valley into northern texas, from central california to idaho. in your neighborhood we can do that on goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo. >> coming up is it finally over for the os bourns? >> why ozzy and sharon could be calling it quits. >> the startling campaign that shows what women really believe they look like. . >> the startling campaign that shows what women really believe they look like. "good morning america's pollen report" brought to you by the makers of nonclous si

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with kraft american singles and oscar mayer fully cooked bacon with our low price guarantee. walmart. back now at 7:42 with the latest on one of reality tv and rock music's most famous couples. are ozzy and sharon osbourne calling it quits? we sure hope not. he has made a major confession about a relapse into substance abuse.

abc's abbie boudreau has the story. >> reporter: they've never been shy about airing dirty laundry on tv. >> you're drunk. >> reporter: ozzy osbourne has been open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. >> he was self-medicating because of everything that just happened with me. >> reporter: and now after 31 years of marriage new rumors this week the osbournes are separating and that ozzy is allegedly no longer sober. >> when you lose your sobriety at this point in your life you can also lose your life. >> reporter: despite the allegations their son jack took to twitter sunday to shoot down the rumors saying it's all [ expletive ], moving on. sharon was spotted moving out of her home into a new one without ozzy and without her wedding ring. then on monday, ozzy coming clean on his facebook page writing for the last year and a half i've been drinking and taking drugs. however, i'm happy to say that i am now 44 days sober. just to set the record straight, sharon and i are not divorcing. i'm just trying to be a better

person. >> she's my whole world. >> reporter: it's not the first time this famous duo has faced tough times. both of their children, cali and jack had struggled with their own addictions. >> so bad, the tylenol and vi vicodin was wearing away my stomach. >> reporter: sharon's double mastectomy and jack's shocking ms diagnosis. >> he's great. >> reporter: abc news reached out to the osbournes for comment but they did not respond. >> when sharon says i'm not coming home till i'm convinced you're 100% sober, i take her at her word. ♪ i'm coming home >> reporter: while sharon has kept quiet she did tell her twitter followers that ozzfest is just two months away, a possible sign of better times. abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> a whole lot going on there. coming up trisha yearwood

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right then, here's the "play of the day." >> we have a couple minute, i want to get right to it. more evidence last night in boston especially in light of what's happened in texas that we as a country stand as one. sports returned to the boston area last night, the boston bruins hosted the buffalo sabres. renee rancourt longtime singer came out to sing the national anthem and then the most remarkable thing happened. take a look and listen. ♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's

last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪

♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ >> just a reminder, just a reminder for me last night how much i love this country. >> powerful. >> incredibly powerful. >> we'll be right back. [ sonic boom ] did somebody just...? impossible. ♪

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coming up, deals, steals, tory and samuel j. >> now from abc7 news a major problem in the in the east bay with a big rig accident on 580. what is the latest? >> it was at a complete standstill. this is at the 580/680 junction.

everything has cleared up. look at that. pretty spectacular footage of a two hour backup. it is thinning out now. the sig-alert has canceled. all lanes are now open. now the forecast and mike nicco. >> good morning, everyone, high pressure is right here, light and variable winds gusty breezes of the last three days are gone. mid-60's at half moon bay to 68 in san francisco, and 72 in richmond and the rest of us are in the mid-to-upper 70's. speaker-like temperatures in the seven-day forecast. eric? >> the news continues now with

♪ a whole bunch of people working out in times square this morning. we've been showing you the hottest workouts to get ready for summer, and today we'll hang ten with the sand workout. >> because the treadmill is so complicated. >> that looks good. it's balance. it's core. there's a lot going on there. good morning, america. amy in for robin this morning. good to have rachel smith here, as well. lara on vacation this week.

>> i mean, i want to -- >> i thought you were going to say you would try it. >> no. >> that's fascinating. >> all right. we're going to be talking about a brand-new ad campaign from dove, and it shows that women have a very different idea of what they look like, what they think they look like compared to what they actually look like in the mirror. it's a social experiment and has a lot of people talking. >> we'll put it to the test. >> no matter who you are or what angle you see you're at, country singer trisha yearwood is gorgeous. talking about her new transformation after dropping 30 pounds. we loved her before. we'll love her after and on and on, but we're going to talk to her. and, well, a lot. big grab bag. deals and steals this morning. we have jennifer aniston this morning. designer zac posen's one-of-a-kind dress that's made out of 24 karat gold, i'm told

also zac efron with a new film drops by. >> can't take her eyes off the dress. >> just beautiful. >> sparkly. very, very sparkly. actually that's my birthday present for you, rachel smith. >> i don't know what to say. >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> what a birthday present. enough already. moving on. >> we know a lot of you have been wondering where robin has been. we want to let you know she just posted on her facebook page she came back from vacation a little under the weather. she did get checked out by her doctor at the hospital, said she's feeling a lot better right now. relaxing at home for the rest of the week. hope to be back next week and know she's turning the corner right now and cannot wait to have robin back. the latest breaking news from josh. a lot more coming in from texas. >> we're getting new information. as many as 15 people killed in that massive explosion in the small town of west, texas, near waco. several firefighters remain

unaccounted for. they are still not sure how many people are trapped in the rubble. >> reporter: at least 160 people injured, the number of dead at this hour still unknown. take a look at this. we are seven blocks away from the actual blast site. all over this street busted out windows and store front, twisted metal. this is a community waking up to sheer devastation. first came the fire, then the terrifying noise. >> are you okay? >> i can't hear. please get out of here. >> reporter: an explosion wiping out entire portions of this town just as many were sitting down for dinner. >> there are homes leveled, businesses leveled, massive dif station in the downtown west area. >> massive like iraq, like the

murrah building in oklahoma city. same kind of hydrous exploded. you can imagine what kind of damage we're looking at there. >> reporter: what caused the west, texas fertilizing plant to burst into flames is still a mystery at this hours but the explosion caused chaos. >> we need every ambulance we can get. >> reporter: the blast so powerful it registered as an earth quake. 2.1 on the richter scale felt miles away destroying hundreds of miles and businesses including a nearby school and nursing home where residents were being evacuated when the roof came crashing down. the community of west feels abandon abandoned. some left so quickly their lights are on in their homes. this is a small town. everyone knows everyone else and everyone is impacted this morning by what happened.

meanwhile in boston there will be a solemn inter faith service for the victims of the marathon bombings on monday. the president and first lady will be there. meanwhile investigators pour through millions of images. they have zeroed in on a man dropping off a bag and walking away from the seen of the second blast. the footage captured by a department store has not been made public. remnants are also revealing important clues. a man from mississippi is in custody this morning awaiting charges for allegedly mailing letters containing poison. 45-year-old paul kevin curtis is suspected of sending letters to president obama and mississippi senator roger wicker. those letters tested positive for ricin. definitive tests are still pending. curtis who is a well known impersonator claimed that the government is trying to ruin his reputation. gun control supporters are

vowing not to give up after a senate rejected a bipartisan bill that would have expanded background checks for gun buyers. gabby giffords wrote this morning by way of response saying she is furious. again, i quote, will not rest until we have righted the wrong these senators have done, end quote. finally, some rather unusual news out of las vegas where casinos have long been known for being windowless, hiding clocks and pretending the time stops when you walk inside. the casino mgm resorts has just announced it's spending $100 million to build the park and public promanade you see there. i'm guessing that's how many people will be using it. today's gam blers want a better

experience. i wish them all the best. >> they go there for one thing and one thing only. >> a lot of families go to vegas. for folks who don't gamble you need something else to do. great shopping, outdoor experience. i don't know. >> sam is going to get a key to the city. >> exactly. >> sam, you will have all the rooms you want up there. >> pop news time now. rachel smith host of on the red carpet for lara. >> huge news we're serving up today. trend worthy. we begin with a world exclusive reveal for "good morning america" this morning. twitter is officially unveiling a music discovery app today. we have the details before it goes public. the apple has changed the way so many people discover music, giving you several ways to find songs based on twitter activity that will bring the most popular tracks and emerging singers.

the new app puts art tests front and center. you can go to their profile to see what they listen to. think of it as maybe like a 21st century mix tape if you will. >> the mix tape. >> by the way, the birthday girl has no idea what a mix tape is. >> i do. maybe a mix cd. >> you don't remember it. >> i got to test it out. i was like, that's kind of cool. i'm following about 63 art tests. i can see who they are following. >> it's pretty cool. >> a great idea. >> did you make mix tapes? >> oh, yes. like the spring break mix tape. the breakup mix tape. the i'm in love mix tape. then you make a tape for your boyfriend and give it to him for him to listen to. >> it's now on your phone. >> there you go. >> would you ever imagine that a

tabloid could play cupid? that seems to be the case for gwyneth paltrow. she said they were responsible for her and chris martin getting together. it was reported that they were hot and heavy before they met. that is what got their romance rolling. ten years, two kids later going strong, right? >> yeah. >> usually it's the other way around. >> finally on this thursday, a little something to brighten your day. this is precious. chow time, y'all. look at this adorable chow chow sitting in a bowl. the little guy can't seem to get out. he's twisting, rolling around. finally he seems to break free. there he goes. he shimmies out of it and there you go.

>> he's so cute. >> as long as that's done and everything is okay. >> yes. we have been reporting all morning long about issues in northern illinois and missouri. we have pictures in this morning and we want to talk about what is going on. wls is gig us pictures this morning. closing on the kennedy and eisenhower express way. this storms continues to drop heavy rain during the day today. let's show you how this is operating. big area of low pressure in the middle of the country with snow on the northern end of it. in that northern line there is going to be heavy rains today. 83 in new orleans. by the way, just stay up with your local abc stations so you know where the storms are rolling and what happens tonight. some of these storms could kick off not only lightning and hail

but >> lots of important weather stories to talk about this morning and we will in the next half hour. rachel? >> all right. thank you, sam. now here's a look at what's ahead on the "gma's morning menu." country superstar trisha yearwood revealing how she lost 30 pounds. big deals and steals. the handbags you don't want to miss and jennifer aniston on her new role. plus zac efron coming up live on "gma" here in times square. ♪ everybody talks

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♪ you're beautiful >> beautiful puppy out in times square this morning. good-looking surfers too getting in shape for summer. >> first of all, we're inside, "gma heat index." wish sam could tell you the story he was just telling us. >> no.

we need to leave that there. >> instead the new ad campaign for dove. real insights into how women see themselves. bianna golodryga is here with all that. women should lighten up on themselves. >> eye-opening experiment. we heard the expression we're our own harshest critics this new ad campaign may give insight as to why. it's a simple one. ask two female strangers to describe each other and then themselves. the results blew us away. it's proof that beauty is often in the eye of the beholder and when we women are the beholders, we can be excruciatingly tough on ourselves. >> tell me about your chin. >> it kind of pro-trues a little bit. >> reporter: in a new ad campaign for dove a forensic sketch artist first draws a woman as she describes herself and then draws her as a total stranger describes her. the results couldn't be more dramatic. >> the second one looks more

open, friendly and happy. >> this advertisement, it speaks to that very universal women have that they're not as perfect as they would like to be. >> reporter: fascinated by the certainly experiment we decided to conduct our own comparative sketches with the help of our "gma" intern kimberly and bethany, a lawyer from new york city, take a listen as bethany describes herself to our sketch artist, gill. >> tell me about your hair. >> it's not very voluminous. >> tell me about your nose. >> it's just big. i think i have big earlobes. >> now as kimberly describes her. >> she has nice teeth. >> tell me about her nose. what is that like? >> it was narrow, straight, thick hair. >> kimberly, i mean you in a nutshell described beth as very pretty. do you consider yourself pretty? >> i think i'm averagely fine looking. >> what would you say are your biggest insecurities? >> definitely weight like i would say most women.

>> when kimberly was try describing you the first thing she said as trim. it was finally time for the moment of truth. how did those sketches turn out? one, two, three. >> oh, wow. so weird. >> in a way, kim ler by who you've known for ten minutes sees you more accurately than you see yourself. >> i definitely true that we're our own worst critics, of course, but it makes me feel really good that other people don't perceive me that way. >> it was shocking. we have the sketches here so in my right hand you see kimberly how kimberly views beth, very pretty girl and this can actually what beth looked like and see how beth described herself and she basically just focused on all of these flaws that she thinks she has that kimberly and the rest of the world don't see. >> what have we done to people? that's just crazy. she's a beautiful woman. >> that's how a lot of women feel, though. >> i would like to see what men

would do. if they would be -- >> i understand that it's an ad campaign for dove soap. i don't know that there's -- it's gender specific. i don't know. i think -- i think self-perception and problems with it, i think it crosses -- >> it's a great campaignment it's not feeling comfortable in your own skin and i think that's something we need to do better at. give ourselves a break. >> what was so stunning for me when describing beth, kimberly said she has beautiful, small perfect ears, the first beth said she doesn't like about herself were her big ears. >> i'm glad dove is doing it. >> yeah, me too. >> a first. we'll turn to trisha yearwood. country music star showing off, well, a gorgeous and now seriously slimmed down figure there on the cover of "people." she looks great. she looked great before. twoer versions of great, diana perez on the skinny trisha yearwood. how she dropped the weight.

♪ how do i live without you >> reporter: from her singing chops -- >> i'm equally known for my cooking. >> reporter: -- to the chopping block, grammy award winner and chef trisha yearwood has dropped 30 pounds and is still dropping the weight. >> she's so happy the way she feels, added nursing home and enjoying eating right. >> reporter: struggling with her weight since grade school, the 48-year-old country singer opens up to "people." "i'm that girl who buys every magazine where somebody's lost 30 pounds but i guess a part of me didn't want to hear that it's just really hard work." now she's created a strategy that works for her. i try to cook out my food and write a menu and designed a plan that's low fat, low sugar 90% of the time. the other 10% yearwood says she allows herself to indulge and meets up with her permanent fitness trainer three times a week and loves zumba. i have the strength i never had before and i feel like i can do

anything. >> trisha's atroech seems incredibly healthy and a really smart strategy to lose it for the long haul. ♪ >> reporter: the country star declares she went from a tight size 14 to a smoking size 10 and her relationship with husband garth brooks is as good as ever. he makes me feel great no matter what the scales say. revealing brooks had even benefited from her new healthy lifestyle. he's probably lost 20 pounds. the southern belle who cut her calorie intake to just 1200 calories a day also offers up healthy eating tips like swapping out potato chips for almonds and using smaller portions but says there's more road ahead. this is not some crazy fad diet. it's a lifelong change. i don't know what my goal weight is but i'm proud of myself. i'm really happy where i am. for "good morning america," daedae diana perez, abc news, new york. >> time for great deals and steals with tory johnson, amazing deals on handbags.

prices up to 84% off. >> already beyond the computer because these are only while supplies last. goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! has the codes and links. >> one fast thing, special today. these -- consider these our bags from boston. every single one has agreed to give 15% to one fund boston established by the governor and the mayor. save big and do a good deed. here we go, baby. okay, these are super fun bags that folds up to this tiny thing but then opens up to a big bag. you can store all your stuff. regularly depending on what you choose $6 to $10 slashed in half starting at 3 bucks. snapsac. >> okay. get them while supplies last. >> i love this bag. this comes in a variety of colors. it is embossed snake patterning.

so super soft seen in tons of the big fashion magazines. >> magnetic opening. >> beautiful inside. normally $110. slashed by 60%, 44 bucks. a variety of colors. so this bag is really great. this company is called robert matthew and you can carry it with this strap or with this strap. >> love the option. >> this one comes in a whole bunch of colors, also other styles you'll find when you go to goodmorningamerica.com for our specific link. >> you can put the kitchen sink in there. >> you can put everything in there. >> these start at $192. these are slashed by 74%. >> wow. >> 49 bucks. this bag, 49 bucks. wait till you see all the colors. >> the lining is beautiful. >> so many different colors online as well. >> this is good too. >> this is a really fun bag. this is -- this is from massey and it is just -- it's called yarn dyed herringbone cotton.

comes in four colors, very lightweight. amazing deal on this one. normally in boutiques, 180. this is slashed by $84. $29. >> $29? >> $29. it comes in four different colors. >> i love that. >> all right. last but not least, these are really gorgeous leather bags. these are also 14 karat gold plated hardware and little fringe on the end. these come in a variety of colors as well, stephanie johnson, normally $382. slashed by 78%. it is $83. as well as the exclusive deal you'll find only on "gma live" today. you not only save but give money to boston. >> people need help.

these are lifelong injuries so every bag you get it's a win/win. >> the season when you change your handbags out and want to get all these hot spring colors, tory has done it at an incredible price. this is $180 in a boutique for $29. >> yes. we have an amazing mix starting from $3 to $83. we got you covered on every which way. >> we want to thank all these companies for providing these phenomenal deals. go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! for the codes and links and "gma live" at 9:00 a.m. jennifer aniston on her brave new role yet and zac efron is live.

>> now from abc7 news, i am kristen sze. a suspicious packaging threw a monkey wrench in the commemoration of the 190 san francisco great earthquake. it forced organizers to move the event from the fountain on market street to union square. the package turned out to be nothing dangerous and everyone returned to the fountain. for the first time, survivors did not attend the remembrance. they deserved sleeping in. no sleeping in for commuters.

leyla gulen it is taking a long-term on 580 and 680. >> you will need the extra time from tracy to dublin in a 2 hour and 40 minute drive. no joke. give yourself extra time. that will give you a long-term to make to livermore and pleasanton and dublin. >> we will check

good morning. hate to start off with not necessarily great news but pollen count is out of control. light and variable winds is a sign that high pressure is here. temperatures are running right now at 59 in napa and low-to-mid 50's everywhere. that is the spring board to check out these temperatures: above average today and ♪ >> in times square this morning, looking at them getting ready for summer. the surf workout. we're doing it too. all right. >> well, this is a hot new workout called surf set and sand aimed at getting a lean look. here from crunch we have you.

is it the abs, the butt, i don't know. i don't think judith can hear me because everyone is screaming behind her. hey. hey, what does this work the most? what part of the body. >> this is surf-inspired board that you're going to get a total body workout. >> total body. >> no part of your body that is not working out. >> you can tell it's working everything. >> i wonder how long you have to do that. >> good to see in our onesie. the amazing zac efron is here to talk about a brand-new role in "at any price." zac efron, what am i doing, dropping names? that's right. he's here this morning on "good morning america" right in there. >> also, a new book coming out. talking about that and billy ray

cyrus will talk about how miley is doing. >> a 24 karat gold dress with us. here's the genius behind it, zac posen, so great to have you here today and this stunning number. oh, my gosh. may i touch it? >> of course. >> this is fabulous. how did you come up with this design? >> well, the inspiration for this dress was magnum gold and the launch of the new ice cream bar. this dress is going to be worn at the tribeca film festival tonight. 24 karat gold, priceless. >> not really. what is the cost of this gown? can you share that. >> it's totally priceless. thousands of hand sequins embroidered. >> it's absolutely stunning. you have this 24 karat gold dress here but are you thinking of perhaps turning out more perhaps a platinum gown next. >> whatever a woman's fantasy is, i will deliver. >> all right. sounds great. >> thank you very much. >> george.

>> jennifer aniston and brittany short behind the film "call me crazy," five short films that could change the way you think about those struggling with mental disorders. >> this stellar cast just pulled off perhaps hollywood's unlikeliest production of the year. they just made a movie about a difficult topic on a low budget and they made it super fast. cue jennifer aniston for the hollywood pitch. >> take a taboo subject or a topic and try to tell stories that are entertaining, humorous, informative. >> reporter: the result, five interwoven tales of mental illness. aniston is executive producer. i am waiting for you to be in it and you weren't. >> i got cut. >> she did.

>> bummer. >> reporter: melanie griffith pops up in a punchy little cameo. >> i think it will make you feel better to be with everyone. we all miss him. >> reporter: how do you say you'll be in it for about 15 seconds. >> you throw it against the wall and see if it stings and they say yes or no. >> reporter: among those who said yes jennifer hudson, sara highland and chelly handler, star of "twilight" directs the first part. for you, this is fairly personal given what you went through after the birth of your child. >> people don't really know how to respond. i mean, i experienced this myself. >> reporter: she's now recovered from postpartum depression and got two kids and a successful hollywood marriage. remember aniston recently got engaged and the wedding rumored to be just around the corner. and any marriage advice for jen? >> oh, my goodness. i don't think i'm in any position to give any advice to

anybody about anything. >> reporter: safe answer, i say. wouldn't you? >> i got it. i'd say the exact same thing. >> reporter: brittany snow is the star of the show. powerful performances, a law student with schizophrenia. the hardest line for you to deliver when you were talking to your on-screen sister and saying -- >> i am prettier than you. >> the line is poignant. >> i'll always be crazier than you too. >> yeah, that might be weird. >> reporter: snow's character makes it through law school helping hudson a veteran with ptsd get her life back together. >> i specifically wanted your case. >> a charity case. >> and, of course, not every story ties up in a perfect bow but the point with it we're trying to get across in these five films is that there is hope. >> reporter: aniston says she wants to produce more, wants to direct. they time left for acting. >> i'm not going to give up acting. i have too much fun being silly

that way. >> reporter: still? still love it. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: i think i'd often like to quit tv, grow a beard and gain 200 pounds. >> i don't know about the grow a beard part but i could see like let's move to france or italy and open up a little antique store. that sounds great. eat pasta and get fat. >> reporter: aniston's antiques and justin making the pasta, sounds great but i can't really picture it. for "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> "call me crazy" airs on lifetime. a lot of tough weather. >> all morning long we've been talking about what's going on in chicago and now 60-mile-an-hour winds in that area earlier this morning. torrential, heavy downpours of rain. a lot of flooding. gave you a list of roadways closed to this flooding earlier in the morning and now there's a flooding emergency going on in cook county early in morning. again, incredibly rough downpour

of rain and entire .'sworth of rain coming in about 24 hours for that area and this is where those storms will continue today. all day long, solid rain in chicagoland, st. louis, we're talking about detroit getting involved in this, as well and in the bright red zone you see is where the rains could be strong storms so you've got the thunder, lightning, hail, strong gusty winds with that and possibility of tornadoes, as well. there's several small little systems that will move into the northwest which means you'll kind of damp for the next couple of days, not big rainmakers but together they will probably add to your rain totals there. it is gorgeous into the southwest. all the way through the deep south until you get to where the storms are popping today.

>> all that weather was brought to you by the buick encore and by the way, you may think if you're, well, look at this. that we're in puppy heaven this morning when you see the treatment that our furry friends will get. let's just take a look at the story. ♪ >> we're joining fiona and rico in holy matrimony. >> between two loving dogs, chico and fiona. and this is the upscale bark mitzvah vowed by a couple for their dog sofia and how about a spa day for this pampered pig. ♪ these pet lovers treat their furry friends like kings and queens in a new show spoiled rotten pets which debuts this weekend on the national geographic channel. don't you think some folks, all due respect may look at this show and go, these guys are just a little obsessed, a little nuts. >> no, you know why, i think the people watching my show are

animal lovers and see a bit of themselves in these people. >> reporter: check out these dog owners in the new york area who have gathered for a monthly meeting of the pup scouts complete with badges, doggie yoga and even a pledge. >> all: to help the dog's immunity. >> these dogs are our children and just like people spoil their children, we spoil our dogs. >> reporter: for "good morning america," rob nelson, abc news, new york. >> pup scouts. you meet every month, right? national organization. this by the way is skiva, the pal of my friend bob, 20 years we've been pals. it premieres april 20th, "spoiled rotten pets." see more on "nightline" coming up, zac efron is in the house here live.

listen, your story line, it makes for incredible tv drama. thing is, your drug use is too adult for the kids,

so i'm going to have to block you. oh, man. yeah. [inhales] well, have a good one. you're a nice lady. ♪ life is a highway >> all fans outside joining us in times square. young fans and old who want to be right here sitting with me because of who is sitting with me. fans fell in love with him, zac efron is the heartthrob of "high school musical" but now as he kills gnats in the studio seeing him in dramatically different roles in his latest "at any price." something of a rebel with a cause. good enough to join us this morning.

another really interesting choice you're making personally but "at any price," why this role? >> really i did the movie first and foremost to work with the director. he's an incredible filmmaker and i saw a couple of his movies and was just blown away. and other than that, i knew dennis would be in the movie and had a great father/son dynamic and i get to play kind of a rebel rebelling against everything his dad stands for. >> we have a clip. it's a scene where investigators come with some questions about the family farm. your father again dennis quaid ready to play nice, take a look. >> who is this? >> who am i? who the hell are you? >> better watch your mouth. >> we're here to examine your invoices. >> you have a warrant? >> fully aware of our legal rights. >> gentlemen, why don't we go inside -- >> they don't have a warrant.

>> mr. whipple, can you ask this person to leave. >> dean, that's enough. dean, hey. dean, dean, stop it. stop it. >> this person is telling you to take a hike, rent-a-cop. >> you talk a lot about going on this journey with your director but this relationship with your father is at the heart of it. how would you describe it? >> it's interesting. you know, we play a farm family in iowa, and the movie kind of examines this guy's struggle, dennis' struggle, you know, between sort of expanding his farm, his sort of ambitious kind of power hungry, money hungry ways and the protection of his family and how he sort of values that over his neighbor and sort of examines just the state of america today. >> right now. i want to ask you too. we see you as a stock car driver. how is that? something everybody will love.

>> it was pretty exciting. it was definitely scary. there was -- i just got thrown into a car and they said gun it. >> people don't understand. he think, well, you're going that fast like you just -- it's terrifying. might be exhilarating but there's a fear factor as well. >> definitely. there's no traction in the car. you're doing eight rotations on the steering wheel and it's just insane. >> this is another role as i mentioned, a role that takes you further from "high school musical." >> sure. >> put you on the map and i don't know how many can understand the white hot intensity of that fame but you're making these choices. are you on a path, do you feel, or do you just take these choices one by one? >> i take them one by one, you know. i can't look too far in the future but i know at the core you really have to, you know, sort of follow your heart and do the projects that really speak to you and surround yourself with people that are, you know, like-minded and that can help elevate sort of the material and i really want to make good movies and feel blessed to be

here in this position to still be able to do that. >> you and dennis and everybody else involved made a great one here. zac efron, thanks for joining us in limited release wednesday, april 24th. coming up, billy ray cyrus, new book.

♪ country music star billy ray cyrus out with a new memoir "hillbilly heart" and opens up about his rise to tar dom and his very famous daughter. so happy to have him with us.

billy ray, thanks for being with us. >> good to be here. >> so you say you wrote this book because you said it was just your time to tell your life story. you go with a lot of intuition and say you hear voices and they lead you >> that's a good word for it, intuition, instincts, to me it was obvious. i was at a crossroads and sometimes when you're at the crossroads it's a good time to look back and see where you've been, take an accounting of where you are in your current surroundings and gives you better perspective to look forward to the future and know where you want to go. >> what do you think will surprise most about reading this book? >> i think the honesty, the truthfulness, early on open up the book, actually johnny cash speaks in the book before i do. johnny cash wrote me a letter in 1992 and the book opens up with the letter and what he said in the letter and then the fact that i have a little quote from the book of psalms that says

your truth will be your shield. >> it's hard to tell the truth sometimes. >> sometimes it's painful and embarrassing and i feel both in this book. there's some things i tell about -- i was just very honest. >> what was the most embarrassing thing you write about. >> did you have to ask me that? >> i have to speak it. >> of course. >> i sold my mamau a 3d jesus. if you looked at it in one direction it did one thing and -- >> it haunts you. >> and still pray to forgiveness. it looked worse when i put it in writing when i put it in the book. i thought i could have and probably should have let that story out but it's about forgiveness. >> about opening up and let people see you too like everyone else is flawed. most know you as miley cyrus' dad or the man who performed "achy breaky heart." what do people not know about

you. >> i think what they don't know they'll find out when they read this book. >> okay. >> it's a very open confession. >> let's talk about hannah montana, your daughter, the show you were in two years ago, you said that the show destroyed your family. what was the impact of that statement and do you regret making it? >> well, i regret doing the interview. that's where i made the first mistake. never do an interview when you're mad and hurt. >> was it honest at the moment. >> no, not really. i was mad. i was hurt. just never should have done the interview. that was the honesty. the truth is, i loved "hannah montana." i still love the show "hannah montana" and obviously love my daughter miley and love all these fans visiting abc. they've been very good to me, my family and i count my blessings. you will read it in the book. i'm not mad at anybody. i'm very, very thankful for this life that god has blessed me and allowed me to live and the johnny cash letter that's what he writes to me is it's good to be reminded we're all things that are good come from almighty

god above. >> let's -- speaking of more positivity and putting that goodness forward i know you say in the book you expressed how you feel through music and song and we've all as a country collectively been feel a lot this week with the tragic events in boston, what just happened in west texas and i know you want to pay tribute to our country with the song "america the beautiful." ♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ ♪ for purple mountains' majesty above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ america america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪

♪ and crown thy good with your brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ [ applause ] >> beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. billy ray cyrus. >> god bless america. >> thank you. >> all the folks in boston, texas, god pleasure country. be right back. >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. now reporting, george stephanopoulos. >> good morning. it has been a week of tragedy and terror in the country. we come to the air to scenes of anguish and resolve in two american cities. in boston we see president obama right there about to speak at an inner faith service to remember the victims of bombings at the

boston marathon. in west texas, a small town near waco nearly leveled by that massive explosion. it had the force of a small earth quake. steven osunsami is in text. steve, this fertilizer plant explosion last night so devastating. police have not come forward with evidence that it was set deliberately but they are treating it as a crime scene. what more do we know right now. >> reporter: authorities just held a news conference where they underlined that. right now they believe it's an accident but they haven't ruled out that a crime was committed here. they say they're now undergoing a more detailed search and rescue effort today. they're looking through closets and under beds hoping to find the missing, hoping to find people alive still in this rummage. rain is hampering efforts here today. they haven't told residents when they'll be allowed back in their homes and they still don't know

what caused this. this blast was felt for a long way. people 40 miles away felt the impact of this blast and within a three-mile area there are homes that were just flattened. george. >> thanks very much. casualties 5 to 15 dead. 160 wounded. we go to boston for the latest in the investigation on those bombings. brian ross is there for us now. brian, all that video coming in may be bearing fruit. >> reporter: george. they've been going through tons of videos with special facial recognition software. they have identified at least one of the bombers, potential suspect in the crowd. we're told that they identified one person who appears to place a bag that they believe contained one of the bombs on the street going through videos taken by a boston police department surveillance camera a long the race route. >> brian, they will be

releasing, we think, some images later today? >> reporter: they are discussing whether they're going to put that out there, some images have been showing up on the internet that not the suspects. the police and fbi released a freeze frame of one image they think could be a potential suspect. >> linsey davis outside the cathedral of the holy cross where the prayer service is going on. i know you've been meeting with the families of the victims all week long. we've been hearing that they have stories of compassion and courage and a lot of resilience in that city of boston. >> reporter: you certainly see that, george. hundreds of people are lining the streets here for several blocks. people say that they felt that they needed to be here. that seems to be the overall sentiment. people wanting to be a part of this unification process.

the arch diocese told us that they believe that some of the victim's families are indeed sitting in the front row. of course a number of marathoners in their jackets sprinkled throughout. outside, in addition to this sense of being extremely somber as you can imagine there is a sense of a city an high alert. out of the con corner of my eye i see a truck. there are several trucks, just one of mm precautions they are taking in the unlikely event of another explosion. it is troubling but very necessary. >> the bomber is still on the loose and you have the president and some of the other officials there. let's go inside the cathedral now. governor patrick is speaking. >> all of whom performed at their very best. i'm thankful for the agents, the fbi, the atf, the officers, the state police and the boston pd. the soldiers from the national guard and all other law

enforcement personnel who both restored order and started the methodical work of piecing together what happened and whose responsible. i'm thankful for mayor menino who started monday morning -- ] applause ] >> mayor menino started monday morning frustrated he couldn't be at the finish line this time as he always is. then late that afternoon he checked himself out of the hospital to help this city, our city, face down this tragedy. i'm thankful to those who have given blood to the hospital, money to the one fund and prayers and messages of consolation and encouragement from all over the world. i'm thankful for the presence

and steadfast support of the president and first lady, our many former governors who are here. we thank you. [ applause ] >> i'm thankful for the political and civil leaders here today and for the many, many faith leaders who administered to us today and in the days since monday. i'm thankful for the lives of crystal and lingzi and martin and for the lives of the families who survived them and for the lives of all the people hurt but who still woke up today with the hope of tomorrow. i am thankful maybe most especially for the countless numbers of people in this proud city and storied commonwealth who in the after math of such

senseless violence let their first instinct be kindness in a dark hour so many of you showed so many of us that darkness cannot drive out darkness as dr. king said. only light can do that. how very strange that the coward es unleashed on us should come on patriots day, a day that marks an end to winter hibernation. just as we are taught at times like this not to lose touch with our spiritual faith, let us not lose touch with civic faith. massachusetts invented america, and america --

[ applause ] >> america is not organized the way countries are usually organized. we're not organized around a common language or religion or culture. we're organized around a handful of civic ideals and we have defined those ideals over time and through struggle as equality, opportunity, freedom and fair play. an attack on our civic ritual like the marathon, especially an patriots day is an attack on those values. just as we cannot permit darkness and hate to triumph over our spiritual faith, so we must not permit darkness and hate to triumph over our civic

faith. that cannot happen and it will not. [ applause ] >> and so, we will recover and repair. we will grieve our losses and heal. we will rise and we will endure. we will have accountability without vengeance, vigilance without fear and we will remember, i hope and pray, long after the buzz of boylston street is back and the media has turned its attention elsewhere that the grace this tragedy exposed is the best of who we are. fellow citizens, i am honored -- [ applause ] >> i am honored and humbled t